SPEAKOUT

There's a silver lining

TO ALL you people fussing about your water bill going up, you ought to think for a minute how lucky you are that UE did not also sell the electric department too.

Every ticket is counted

WHY DOES the Missourian newspaper and SEMO University out and out lie about the attendance at the university basketball games. I've been to almost everyone of the games, and there's just about half as many as they list. Of course, tickets may be sold, but the empty seats show that they are not present, so they're not in attendance.

REPLY: You appear to have answered your own question. The figures are for paid ticket holders, whether or not they attend.

Growth affects costs

FOR THE caller who complained about the ever-increasing water/utility rates, his concerns are definitely valid, but he missed the mark if he thought that getting of the airport would solve his problems. The primary reason there are continually rising costs for the water system is that the city bought an antiquated and soon-to-be-in-need-of-repair water system from Union Electric. One reason UE rates didn't go up was that they weren't investing in the future and upgrading the system. When they saw the need coming, they sold that albatross to the city, and now the chickens have come home to roost. Large sums of money will be needed to maintain and upgrade this city's water system. One proven way to offset these costs is to ensure a growing and healthy tax base for the city. Our city currently has neither. The population of this city grew by less than 1 percent in the last 10-year census. Sales tax revenues for 1996 are below the regional average by several percentage points. A recent letter to the editor referred to the potential of the airport and its economic impact on the region. So the caller thinks that only the rich use the airport. Tell that to the people who've used the airline. Doesn't he realize the value of the airport? Doesn't he realize the first product of Cape Girardeau seen by many corporate types coming to look at investing in our area is the airport. P&G flies its employees in and out of airport every day of the work week. Would the caller like these so-called rich people to go elsewhere? I'm sure he would have P&G and its employees stay here and help him pay our taxes. If Cape Girardeau doesn't continue to grow, I can assure the caller that his taxes and utility bills will grow at a faster rate if there are fewer taxpayers in the community to share the burden.

Show up at the meetings

WHAT I find interesting is that lately I've been reading in the paper in the Speak Out columns the concerns about the 5 percent water hike. But it seems to me like all these comments are coming after the council meeting. You know, if these people are so concerned about the water rates, why weren't there at the council meeting to protest in large numbers? In fact, there were only two people at the council meeting who stood up and had anything to say about the rate increase. So, people, if you want to change the way Cape operates, if you want to change the way the council sticks it to you, please come to meetings in masses and demand your rights from the city of Cape Girardeau.

Balanced budget or pork

I SAW in your paper the other day that Jo Ann Emerson introduced a bill for a balanced budget amendment. What is the matter with that woman, disrespecting the memory of her husband, Bill Emerson? Doesn't she know that Bill Emerson, for all these years he was in Congress, was a go-along guy, a real Reagan-Republican who was there and never tried to balanced the budget, who was there all the time when the national debt went from less than a trillion dollars to almost $5 trillion. And he took the pork and brought it to Southeast Missouri. Doesn't she know this? Doesn't want to honor her husband and keep up doing things in Bill's way?

Get all the facts

JUST BECAUSE because you're acquitted of a crime doesn't mean you're innocent. That means they didn't feel that they had enough evidence to convict you of what you were charged with. If you remember the Will Kennedy Smith trial, he had a record of being violent toward women, but they were not allowed to bring that in so the jury could hear that. I feel that anybody who's arrested and has a history of violence, that this should be allowed to be brought out.

Clinton has the time

HOW MANY vacations does Bill Clinton have a year? The average person gets maybe a week per year -- that is if he's been on the job a year. I do believe he can give up a golf game or two to go to court and get to the bottom of this Paula Jones thing. The whole thing is utterly ridiculous. He's hiding behind somebody's coattails just like he did when he was supposed to go to war.

Thomas is role model

I'VE NOTICED in all the black history promotions and so forth in the public schools that they never say anything about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. This is part of the problem with the NEA, they are vehemently anti-conservative and many times anti-Christian. If I was a black parent, I would demand that a great man like Clarence Thomas, achieving the stature he has on the Supreme Court, would be used as a role model for my children.

All kiddie shows now

WE PAY lots of money for the TCI cable. We, as so many others, are thoroughly disgusted about all the TCI changes. First the cable was out at least three times in December. These are ones that know of. Many more may have occurred. Then on Sunday, during one of the football games, it was out for 11 minutes. Never any explanation. What gives? We have asked for a St. Louis channel for many years. We have asked for the History Channel ever since we knew there was one. We don't need our kiddie remote anymore to block out shows as we have nothing but kiddie shows anyhow. Anyway, Scooby, scooby doo.

Literate or computer literate

I WAS just wondering about Mel Carnahan's pledge to make all Missouri students computer literate by the time they're 12. Since his president, Bill Clinton, says most students aren't even literate, how can they become computer literate if they can't even read?

Snow in handicapped spaces

I WAS really disappointed the other day after the snow when I went to West Park Mall and found that most of the snow on the lot had been piled in the handicap parking areas. So much has been said over the last few years about people who violate the handicap parking areas. I think it's a real violation of this space by piling snow on it. This is the time of year when the handicapped really need their spaces. I wish they would do something else with snow in the future.

Lucky to be an American

THE PERSON who commented on the wages of sin is a very narrow-minded person. He or she must think that when there was a Republican president, no one become ill or unhappy. I was a Republican, but I think this person's opinion is sick and has developed a poor attitude, and he or she must be very uneducated. A person like this should be forgiven because the person doesn't realize how lucky we are living in the United States.

Be fair with news

I READ Heidi Nieland's columns and I think she did a wonderful job writing for the Missourian. Her humor made us smile and appreciate her articles. I've become so bored with most of your local writers. She was also a very good serious writer. It will be difficult to replace her. We shall miss her, and I notice that Laura Johnston is not writing articles either. Please try to improve your paper since we don't have the opportunity to purchase other newspapers. Readers consist of both parties, so be fair when reporting articles. I wish there would be more information about teachers and other local outstanding people in our area.

Let legislatures do it

I DON'T expect the Supreme Court to hold that doctors may help to kill people who want to die. I wish the legislatures of the states would do it. The religious argument is that people should die only when God decides that it is time for them to die. I have never understood why people who hold this view have no objection to doctors intervening with drugs and surgery to prevent someone from dying when without this medical assistance, God would cause them to die. I personally am glad that doctors play God everyday that they practice their profession.

Recognizable voice?

I KNOW that I have distinct voice. However, I do not believe that Newt Gingrich has a distinct voice, especially when he's being heard over a telephone. If he were to call me, I wouldn't know who the heck it was, and I don't believe the Martins knew who it was either when they listened in on his telephone conversation.

Watch out for lightning

WHOEVER WROTE the "Wages of sin" comment needs to get a life. You're not punished for who you vote for. Most times you don't have a very good choice in either party, and you just vote on who you think will do a better job. Jesus died for our sins. And it also says in the Bible to judge not and be not judged. So the person who called in this better stay in the next time we have a lightning storm.

Double standards

I SEE where there have been an attack by Democrats calling Speak Out complaining about Newt Gingrich. He has admitted making mistakes and apologized to Congress and the American people for that. These mistakes so far have been declared as minor and not criminal or for profit. Do these Democrat complainers rate Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Deck Gephardt as those who admit their wrongs and offer forgiveness? Tell the truth and be trashed, tell a lie and be praised. Just what are the people of this country, especially the children, being taught about double standards? You complainers, get real.

The mail goes through

CONGRATULATIONS AND thank you for the fine job. My letter carrier in Scott City actually delivered my mail in the dreadful weather. Thank you, Scott City Post Office. Thank you for coming through for me.

Risky pizza delivery

I'M CALLING to alert residents of Cape Girardeau about pizza delivery drivers. No. 1, it is considered rude not to tip the driver, especially on a day where the roads are as dangerous as they are today. No. 2, it also rude to complain about a pizza being five minutes late when these people are risking their very lives to get your pizza safely to your door. My husband is a college student and is a driver, and he's out on an icy day receiving more complaints than tips while his daughter and his wife are praying that he makes it home tonight. So please, have a heart and stop being selfish. You know who you are.

No burglaries in the snow

I HAVE two comments concerning the burglaries that happened last fall and summer. One, I'm surprised it's not been mentioned that the burglaries stopped when they did. If anyone remembers what happened shortly after the last burglary was reported, it snowed. These people doing burglaries have to get to the house, get out and get away. We don't know how they're getting away, to a car or just running down allies. If it snows, you can follow footprints and see where they go and they can be traced, so it's no surprise to me. snow. Two, it's not just elderly people being broken into. Look out when it stops snowing. Maybe the rewards, by the way, which gave people a reason to call in information, was another deterrent.